Item: “Hot French Fries (Purchased In L.A.)”

Designer/Maker: Russell W. Baldwin – One of San Diego’s most important mid-century artists, Baldwin studied at San Diego State during the late 50s with Everett Gee Jackson, Jean Swiggett, John Dirks, Martha Longenecker and Ilse Ruocco. He explored many forms of expression; painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics and various constructed art forms and was a member of the San Diego Art Guild, the Allied Craftsmen and the Contemporary Arts Committee of the Fine Arts Society. Some of his first one-man exhibitions took place in La Jolla at the Jefferson Gallery in 1964 and the La Jolla Museum of Art in 1965. He wrote his masters thesis on sand-casting for sculpture during this period, but quickly moved on to hard-edge constructions and polychrome mixed-media works that were exhibited in La Jolla and in his 1966 one-man exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 1966. He was one of San Diego’s earliest pioneers of conceptual art, working alongside fellow artist-teachers Bob Matheny and John Baldessari, who taught at Southwestern College while Baldwin taught at Palomar College. He taught for many years in the art department there and established the Boehm Gallery while just beginning at Palomar.

Description: An engaging composition created around a “STA-HOT” brand silver checkered french fry baggie from a Los Angeles burger joint. Baldwin has written “Hot French Fries” in pencil, as well as the year, and further indicates that the empty bag was “purchased in L.A.” He then presents the greasy bag within a specially cut matt and above it renders a kind of dispensing machine chute in pencil and lines cut out of the matt. Signed and dated 1969 on the back. From the estate of Russell Baldwin.

Dimensions: 9″ x 12″ framed

Condition: Very good original condition.

Price: $575

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